The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released its 2004 year-end review.  DHS is made of many different divisions, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and US-VISIT. 

CBP processed 428 million passengers and pedestrians at land, air, and sea ports of entry.  Of that number over 643,000 aliens were deemed inadmissible under U.S. law.  Border Patrol agents arrested 1,158,800 undocumented immigrants between official ports of entry.  Due to the Integrated Automated Fingerprint System (IAFIS), over 23,000 individuals with criminal records were identified and arrested.  Together with ICE, CBP seized more than $138 million worth of counterfeit goods in FY 2004. 

ICE made 1,368 arrests and brought 895 indictments for money laundering and other financial crimes, exceeding arrests and indictments of the prior fiscal year.  ICE also apprehended more than 4,600 child sex predators nationwide and deported over 2,100 child sex predators.   

USCIS naturalized 500,000 new United States citizens, including 9,00 active duty military personnel naturalized through expedited processing.  USCIS conducted 35 million background checks of persons petitioning for immigration benefits were conducted, and more than 20,000 children from around the world were adopted by U.S. families due to petitions processed by USCIS.

In January, US-VISIT was implemented at all 115 U.S. international airports and 14 seaports.  Since then, over 370 people with records of criminal or immigration violations have been prevented from entering the US by CBP.  On September 30, Visa Waiver Program (VWP) travelers were included in US-VISIT and the program has now processed more than 14 million travelers.  US-VISIT is now operational at the nation’s 50 busiest land border crossings.